Cement post.



'-N0'.a49,759. I PATENTED APR.9,1907.

W. E. VARNEY.

. CEMENT Pos'r. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6. 1906.

WILLIAM E. VARNEY, OF WELLMAN, IOWA.

CEMENT POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed September 5, 1906 Serial No. 333.725.

To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. V ARNEY, a

. citizen of the United States, residing at Wellman, in the county ofWVashington and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and usefulCement Post, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a post to be made of cement orartificial stone, in which the reinforcing wires or rods are ar rangedand shaped to be easily placed in the proper position in the post whenbeing formed and to provide a maximum of strength for the post with aminimum amount of material in the braces.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combinationin a cement post of the reinforcing wires or rods whereby the objectscontemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointedout in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a fencepost embodying my invention.The dotted lines show the position of the reinforcingwires within thepost and the inner ends of the fence-wire-retaining hooks. Fig. 2 showsa perspective view of the reinforcing wires or rods and thefence-wire-retaining hooks arranged as they would be within a post, theoutline of the post being shown in dotted lines in said figure. Fig. 3shows a transverse sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4shows a perspective View of a part of a fence-post provided with myimprovements and with fence-wi res in the retaininghooks.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the post proper is of theordinary size and shape of cement posts and may be made of any suitablematerial for forming artificial stone and is indicated by the numeral10. The reinforcing wires or rods are formed of two separate pieces ofround wire or rod, each doubled at its central portion and having itssides 11 and 12 approximately the length of the post and approximatelyparallel, except that the ends of the wire or rod are slightly spreadapart to conform to the tapered exterior of the post. The end 11 isprovided with a right-angled extension 13 to project in wardly towardthe side 12, and the said side 12 is longer than the side 11. These tworeinforcing-pieces are arranged in a post with their sides 12 adjacentto opposite corners of the post near one of the flat sides thereof andthe sides 11 of each piece adjacent to the corners of the postdiametrically opposite the corners where the sides 12 are placed. Thepost is made large enough to completely cover all of the parts of thereinforcing wires or rods except the lower ends of the sides 12, whichproject a slight distance below the lower end of the post.

The wire-retaining hooks are each formed of a single piece of flexiblewire doubled at its central portion and formed into a hook 14. Beyondthe hook the sides 15 are straight and the ends 16 are inclinedoutwardly away from each other. The sides 15 and the ends 16. are ofsuch size and shape that when said ends are in engagement with the sides12 of the reinforcing wires or rods the hook 14 will proj ect a properdistance from the post.

One of the great advantages in having the reinforcing wires or rodsarranged in crossed positions, as shown, is on account of ease in whichit may be properly positioned within the post, for by the use of wiresor rods of this kind the operator is enabled to first form one layer ofthe post in a suitable mold and then place the sides 12 of thereinforcing wires or rods on top of the material adjacent to the cornersof the lower flat side of the post, with the parts 11 of eachreinforcing wire or rod arranged straight above it or leaning toward theadjacent side of the mold in which the post is formed. This permits theoperator to fill in the remainder of the material for making the post,all except a small top layer.

Then the sides 11 may be turned inwardly over the center of the post andmade to rest upon the material of which the post is being formed, andthen finally the balance of the material may be filled on top of theparts 11. In this way the sides 11 and 12 of the reinforcing wires orrods may be readily, quickly, and easily placed close to the corners ofthe post while it is being formed without any danger of having parts ofsaid sides project through the post. By thus providing reinforcing wiresor rods accurately spaced within the post it is possible and practicableto provide wire-retaining hooks having laterally-projecting ends 16,designed to interlock with the sides 12. In use these hooks may first beplaced in a suitable mold, and the ends 16 will all be at a uniformdistance from the bottom of the mold. Then the operator may readily telljust how much material need be placed in the mold in order to leave roomfor the insertion of the wires 12, so

IIO

that wires 12 will just engage the ends 16.

- Then after the wires and the hooks have by unskilled persons and yetwhen formedwill have a maximum of strength and durability. Fence-wires17 may be placed in the hooks 14 and then the hooks bent over thefence-wires to firmly retain them.

One of the advantages attained by my improved fence-posts is that thewire-retaining hooks are in electric contact with the reinforcing wiresor rods, and the ends of these rods project below the post, so that whenthe posts are placed in position for use, and in the event thatlightning should strike upon the fence-wires in the retaining-hooks thecurrent will be carried through the retaining-hooks to the reinforcingwires or rods and will travel from'thence to the ground.

of the post and a number of fence-wire-retaining loops, each made of asingle piece of wire with its central portion formed into a hook and itsend portions projected outwardly away from each other, said hooks placedin the post With their outwardly-projecting ends resting upon the sidesof the reinforcing-wires that are adjacent to one side of the post, andwith their hook portions projecting beyond the said side of the postbetween said parts of the reinforcing-rod.

WILLIAM E. VARNEY. Witnesses:

' S. F. CHRIsTY,

J. RALPH Onwre.

